Light my Way Out
by hungry-elf
Summary: This portrays Remus Lupin's struggles to cope after the war. It suggests that a brighter future lays ahead for him. Could be a RL/HG fic. Indefinite One-shot depending on response.


**A/N Hey! This is my very first story. It is technically a one shot, however if I receive a positive response and encouragement to continue, I may turn this into a longer story which will include a Remus Lupin and Hermione Granger pairing. I think that pairing is really cute, and I just LOVE Mooney. Well, enjoy! Please review to let me know what you think! - and be nice, first timer remember.**

Remus Lupin sat at the table in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place nursing a glass of firewhiskey between his fingers. It was not an unusual occurrence to find Remus up so late at night. In fact, it was almost every night that he sat frozen in his seat staring at the wall across from him while slowly sipping his drink.

It had been this way since the war ended. One would suspect that coming out of a war victorious would give a person strength, and a solid sense of fulfilment. When Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort in the Final Battle nearly four years ago, everybody was filled with triumph and pride. The cause that they had fought, bled and died for had finally been won.

However, the losses were great. So great that Remus could never find it within him to allow himself a peaceful nights rest. When he closed his eyes, he only saw the lifeless bodies of those who fought and died that fateful night. He saw the eyes of his childhood best friends staring at him accusingly, accusing him with their cold dead eyes, questioning his survival. He was a lone marauder with nobody left to share his happiness with, however little that happiness may be.

Remus reflected on the past four years while still sitting in silence. He was currently living in number 12 Grimmauld Place alone. Harry used to live here with him, as well as his best friend Hermione Granger. Harry moved back to Godric's Hollow after he and Ginny married a mere year after the war. Ginny was currently heavily pregnant with little James Sirius Potter. Remus gave a short low chuckle thinking about the mischief little James Sirius would get up to if his namesake was anything to go by.

After Harry moved out with his wife, he allowed Remus to continue living at Grimmauld Place. Remus was grateful at this gesture, of course. Even though he was recognised for his involvement in the downfall of the Darkest wizard of all time, his well-known status as a werewolf down-played his courageous involvement and disintegrated almost all chances of gaining a well-paying job. So even after four years, the prejudice that was placed upon magical creatures living in the Wizarding World was just as strong.

After a few years of applying for a liable and respectable jobs and an even more constant flow of rejection letters, Remus decided to give up on finding proper employment. He knew that as soon as employers saw the name Lupin, they would immediately place the application aside to never look at again. Remus had even spoken to the recent Minister for Magic, and dear friend, Kingsley Shacklebolt about work opportunities. Kingsley couldn't do much, but he does occasionally call Remus for assistance with odd jobs when it was required.

He knew that he fought his hardest in both wars. He knew that their cause was fulfilled and the future that he and the other members of the Order of the Pheonix hoped for was achieved. He knew that future generations would no longer have to live in fear of pending darkness. Reflecting on the world he lived in now, he knew that this was what they had all wanted. But even after all this, he wasn't happy. There was no use denying the truth.

When somebody asked Remus how he was feeling, he would smile and tell them what they wanted to hear. He would tell them how he was fine, and doing well. However, he would eagerly turn the focus on them and allow them to ramble on about how wonderful their lives are now that the war is finally over. Nobody ever truly noticed when Remus' smile didn't fully reach his eyes. Nobody ever questioned his overgrown hair, or his sunken eyes. Only few people spoke of his lycanthropy. They probably did it out of comfort for Remus, but by ignoring the wolf, they also ignored a part of Remus.

Remus Lupin accepted Mooney as a part of him long ago. He didn't particularly like it, but he accepted it nonetheless. By accepting the wolf, he found that his self-control was significantly easier to handle. Previously, Remus would desperately try to hold back the wolf, which caused him to have a fiery temper and a constant agitated feeling. He never allowed Mooney to make an appearance unless it was the night of the full moon. Remus found that Mooney was a lot like him, apart from the whole 'animal' thing. They usually shared opinions, and when they didn't, Remus bantered back and forth between his human and wolf self in order to gain the upper hand.

He hadn't lost control of the wolf since the war. He was still there, obviously, but he was at peace. The contentedness of the wolf unsettled Remus to some degree. He wondered more often than not at how the wolf could be so relaxed while he himself felt that he was falling head first into a dark bottomless pit.

'_If you must know, human, it is because I know that a brighter future is ahead_,' the raspy voice of Mooney spoke in Remus's head.

"Ah, but of course you would know everything oh great one," Remus replied out loud in a mocking tone. One would think this relationship with his wolf half as strange, psychotic even. But Remus only felt it as outlandishly comforting. Perhaps it was the fact that Remus was so incredibly lonely and withdrawn from everybody else that it felt nice to have someone to talk to. Even if it was inside his own head…

'_Mock all you like, but it is coming. Quite soon. You will see,_' Mooney whispered.

Remus lifted himself from his seat, swaying slightly from being seated for so long. He began walking towards the stairs leaving both the glass and the firewhiskey bottle in their place on the table. He marched steadily up the stairs and to his bedroom. It hadn't changed much in the years that he had lived there. There was a double four poster bed in the middle of the room draped in plain brown sheets. A small bedside table was on the left side of the bed which usually held different books that Remus left there to read when he couldn't sleep, which was quite often. A wooden dresser and wardrobe were positioned across from the bed that held the small amount of belongings that Remus owned which mostly consisted of clothes and books.

There was no indication that this room belonged to Remus apart from the lone photo frame that stood proudly on his dresser. It was a picture taken of him and the marauders in their seventh year of Hogwarts. They were in the Gryffindor common room sitting on the couch in front of the fire place. James Potter sat on the left of the couch smiling widely with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he unceasingly messed up Sirius Black's hair with his fingers. Sirius had a scowl on his face as he tried to straighten up his hair as well as grumbling curses at James for touching his precious hair. A young Remus sat next to James in the middle of the couch reading a book while glancing up at the camera as well as at Sirius' reactions every so often with a small smile plastered across his lips. Peter Pettigrew sat quietly beside Remus with his knees pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped around them on the right side of the couch watching the marauder in amusement as he continuously tried to smoothen out his hair.

Remus' smile fell slightly as he looked at the young Peter Pettigrew. His betrayal to James and Lily Potter hurt deeply, but Remus could never find it within himself to cut the pudgy boy out of his past. Merlin knows he wished he could. He hated what Peter had done. He hated that the betrayal of one of his best friends managed to turn his life upside down and left him friendless, without his family. However, that could never change the fact that Peter was once a part of the marauders; a part of Remus' life. Peter was in a part of Remus' life when he was his happiest and Remus couldn't help but want to return back to those days of no worries. The days before everything became so incredibly messed up.

Remus stepped past his dresser towards his bed. He fell onto the bed without removing any of his clothing or even lifting up the bed covers. He fell asleep almost instantly after his head hit the pillow while just hearing Mooney's whispering words,

'_Very soon, Human'_

So he slept with a strange feeling of hope swelling up from within him.

**A/N Well that was it... please let me know what you think! Would it be worth continuing? Would you like to see Miss Granger enter the fold? REVIEW PLEASE!**


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